Paris Olympics 2024: Indian shooter Arjun Babuta finishes fourth; misses medal by a whisker in men's 10m air rifle event

By Siddharthan P

Siddharth has been part of Khel Now since September 2023 and has covered Asian Games, Olympics and Pro Kabaddi League, writing articles for multiple sports.

Published at :July 29, 2024 at 4:51 PM

Modified at :July 29, 2024 at 4:51 PM

(Courtesy : SAI Media)

China’s Lihao Sheng, the world record-holder, won the gold medal.

India’s Arjun Babuta narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle event at Paris Olympics 2024. The competition was intense, with scores separated by mere fractions of a point.

Babuta started strong, scoring 10.7 in his first shot and briefly holding second place. However, a lower score of 10.2 in his next attempt dropped him to fifth. Showing great mental strength, he quickly bounced back with consistent shots of 10.5, 10.4 and 10.6, ending the first series of five shots in fourth place.

The young Indian shooter continued to perform well in the second series, improving his total score from 52.4 to 52.6. This improvement helped him climb to the bronze medal position after 10 shots.

As the competition entered the elimination rounds, where the lowest-scoring shooter is removed after every two shots, Babuta showcased his talent. He fired an impressive 10.6 and 10.8, moving up to second place, just behind China’s Lihao Sheng.

Arjun Babuta finishes 4th in men's 10m Air Rifle Final!! 🇮🇳🔫He was close 2nd for a long time but a 9.5 shot ends his dream at #Paris2024. 💔#Shooting pic.twitter.com/vODftyDKCy
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) July 29, 2024

The battle for medals was fierce, with Babuta facing tough competition from Sheng, Sweden’s Victor Lindgren (the current world champion) and Croatia’s Miran Maricic. Despite his best efforts, including briefly regaining second place, Babuta eventually finished fourth after a couple of low-scoring shots in the final rounds.

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China’s Lihao Sheng, the world record-holder, dominated the event and set a new Olympic record on his way to winning the gold medal. Sweden’s Victor Lindgren made a strong comeback to claim silver, while Croatia’s Miran Maricic secured the bronze medal with an impressive performance in the elimination rounds.

Although Babuta missed out on a medal, his fourth-placed finish at the Olympics is a remarkable achievement for the young Indian shooter.

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Siddharthan P

Like many 90s kids, Siddharth dreamt of being a cricketer but ended up studying Engineering. But his passion for sports never left him, as he started writing and talking about it. He worked as a commentator for the Tamil Nadu Premier League and has been writing about all other sports since 2017. Any day, if there is an Indian playing in any sport, Sid will be watching.